Springtime

Yesterday marked the first sandal day of 2010.  It has been wonderfully warm this week, with temperatures in the 60s.  Probably as a function of living in cold climates my entire life (Montana and South Dakota), I have a tendency to push the envelope on the seasons.  I decided that it was time to pull out the sandals in Colorado, because my Montana friends have been wearing theirs for a week now. 

Growing up in Montana, my sister Katie and I loved to pass the days of summer while playing in the sprinkler or pool in the yard.  It didn't matter if it was scarcely above freezing, as soon as school ended at the beginning of June, we were begging Mom to let us play with water in the yard.  The rule was we could not play in the sprinkler until all the snow was melted from the Bridger mountains.  Which is somewhat misleading, because the snow never completely melts from the Bridgers.  But I guess it worked to distract us for a couple weeks, until it got marginally warmer.  As we got older, it was less about playing in the yard, but instead about wearing sandals and not wearing coats, hats and gloves.  Really, anytime it was above 45 degrees, me and most of my friends could be found wearing sandals. Even if there was snow on the ground.

In College, after a miserable and gray winter, the first breeze of spring found me and friends outside studying on the green.  Even if it was slightly too cold to be laying in the sun with our schoolbooks, after months of clouds, ice and snow, we were ready. 

Compared to Montana and South Dakota, Colorado weather is downright balmy.  It has been over 60 degrees every day this week.  However, for downright strangeness, Colorado beats Montana any day.  Tonight there is a winter storm warning, with a 90% chance of a blizzard with the potential of multiple feet of snow.  But right now, as I sit on my patio, the sun is out, the sky is blue and I cannot imagine a blizzard.  We will see what happens....